Preliminary inquiry for former Dawson Creek councillor set for winter 2026

DAWSON CREEK, B.C. — The preliminary inquiry into a former member of Dawson Creek’s city council is scheduled for early next year.

Shaely Wilbur, who served as a councillor for the city from 2012 to 2021, was charged with breach of trust for an incident that allegedly took place on December 1st, 2021.

As part of her trial process, Wilbur is set to appear in court early in 2026 for a preliminary inquiry, which is a hearing meant to determine whether there is sufficient evidence for a trial.

The inquiry is set to take place on February 19th and 20th in Dawson Creek.

Wilbur’s charge, breach of trust, is an ‘indictable’ offence, meaning it’s a serious crime with a significant maximum penalty – in this case, 14 years in prison.

People charged with indictable offences have the right to elect their mode of trial, meaning they can choose whether they wish to be tried by a provincial or supreme court judge. 

If they elect to be tried by a supreme court judge, they can also decide whether they want a jury to be present.

Following a series of hearings, delays and adjournments, Wilbur ultimately elected to be tried before a supreme court judge with no jury present during a hearing on October 7th.

Outside of her time as a councillor in Dawson Creek, Wilbur also ran for mayor in the city’s most recent municipal election, losing to current mayor Darcy Dober. She was also the president of the North Central Local Government Organization from 2017 to 2018.